We intend to actively participate in the United States' new maritime vision and policies—new moves to build next-generation fleets led by the U.S. Navy and to rebuild shipyards for maritime dominance and prosperity.
Chung Ki-sun, chair of HD Hyundai, said this in a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit's "Future Tech Forum: Shipbuilding," held on the 27th at the Gyeongju Expo Grand Park Culture Center in North Gyeongsang Province.
Promoted to senior vice chair on the 17th, Chung made his first official appearance as chair of HD Hyundai. After signing a partnership in April with Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII), the largest defense shipbuilder in the United States, HD Hyundai has been broadly reviewing ways to enter the U.S. market, including acquiring equity in local shipyards.
Chung said, "HD Hyundai has successfully delivered more than 100 surface vessels and submarines to navies around the world, including Korea, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Peru," and added, "As a reliable partner to open the new era of America's maritime renaissance together, we are ready to join the journey of innovation."
He also outlined HD Hyundai's strategies in artificial intelligence (AI), decarbonization, and manufacturing innovation. Introducing a partnership with the U.S. AI defense company Anduril, Chung said, "We are developing next-generation unmanned vessels, and if the companies' combined strengths in autonomous navigation technology and autonomous mission execution technology are integrated, it is expected to completely change the paradigm of naval operations. Abacus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai, three years ago became the first in the world to apply autonomous navigation technology to a commercial vessel and succeed in a trans-Pacific crossing."
On decarbonization, he said, "Along with AI-based voyage optimization, autonomous navigation, and ultra-high-efficiency ship design, we are maximizing the operational efficiency and sustainability of ships by mobilizing all means, including energy-innovation technologies such as electric propulsion, fuel cells, low-carbon fuels like ammonia, and small modular reactors (SMR)."
On the manufacturing innovation front, he said, "We are using advanced robotics to solve the chronic shortage of skilled workers and to build safer autonomous shipyards capable of 24-hour operations. By introducing Humanoid Robot, we will achieve fundamental innovation across the entire process."
The Future Tech Forum, a venue where global corporations, government agencies, and academia gather to share the state of key industries and present a roadmap, runs through the 30th. HD Hyundai took the stage as the first corporations that day.